Topic 28 邀请家人/朋友吃晚饭

1. Do most people eat at home or eat at restaurants?
I think most people eat at home. Going to restaurants is usually saved for special occasions. After all,eating out can be really expensive if you go to a fancy restaurant. So I guess a lot of people just eat at home because it’s better for saving money. Plus, when you eat at home, you can make sure that the ingredients are healthy and organic. You know, restaurants might serve you expired food248.

2. What are the pros and cons of eating at home and eating at restaurants?
Eating at home can save more money. Food in restaurants is more expensive than food you cook at home. And you can eat healthier at home because you have total control over249 what you eat. In contrast, restaurants do all the cooking and cleaning for you. And food cooked by professional cooks usually tastes better than home-made food.

3. Which one do you think will be more popular in the future, eating at home or eating at restaurants?
I suppose that eating at restaurants will be more popular. Even though eating at home saves money, it also takes a lot of time to cook and wash dishes. So more and more people, especially young guys, eat at restaurants or order take-out food 250 . Plus, since people’s incomes are increasing, eating at restaurants has become very affordable. I think more people will be able to afford eating at a restaurant on a daily basis251 in the future.

4. What are the differences between food we have normally and food we have during festivals?
Well, in China, people normally don’t spend too much on dining. Food is just what they buy from grocery stores252. But for festivals, Chinese families will make a good feast253 to enjoy together. That type of meal often has more dishes than usual. Some rich families even buy fancy ingredients for the meal, like lobsters and crabs254.

5. Do Chinese families hold parties?
No. I don’t think Chinese families hold parties as often as western families. Chinese people like inviting a lot of family members and friends to celebrate special occasions. But it’s different from typical western parties255. It’s more like having a good feast together. Actually, compared to the past,Chinese people, especially young guys, are more invested in having parties now. And a lot of them do love going to parties.

6. Are there more people spending a lot of money on their wedding?
I suppose that there are less people who spend a lot of money on their wedding. It used to be very popular256 to have an expensive wedding. But nowadays, people are trying to save money, not spend it. A lot of young people would rather spend that money on travel instead of257 a fancy wedding ceremony. So expensive weddings are getting less and less popular. I think it’s a good change.

248 expired food: 过了保质期的食物
249 have total control over：完全控制
250 order take-out food：叫外卖
251 on a daily basis：经常，每天
252 grocery stores：食杂店
253 make a good feast：做顿大餐
254 lobsters and crabs：龙虾和螃蟹
255 typical western parties：典型的西方派对
256 It used to be very popular: 过去很流行
257 would rather spend that money on travel instead of：宁愿把钱花在旅行上，而不是…